SAN ANTONIO -- We've all heard of "sexting," the sending of explicitly sexual messages or photos between mobile devices. But what can happen when those suggestive or even nude photos get into the wrong hands? You may find yourself or your teen a victim of "sextortion."
It's a new cyber crime that's becoming a real problem.
Jeanne's boyfriend always said the naked photos he took of her would stay private. That was true, right up until the day she broke up with him.
"He started threatening me with the nude photos," Jeanne. said. "He threatened to submit them to my company as well as post them on Facebook on the Internet and send them to all of my friends."
Scared, Jeanne actually went back to him for a short time. Just so the photos wouldn't get out.
"I was devastated," Jeanne said. "I was thinking that a million people could see my nude photos, and I had absolutely no control over it."
Internet privacy experts say while "sextortion" can happen to anyone, including adults like Jeanne, teens are especially vulnerable. And it's not always ex-boyfriends or disgruntled friends. Predators are using sexting as a weapon, too.
"When teens take and share sexual images, they don't want their parents their principal or the police to get a hold of them," said Parry Aftab, Internet privacy and security lawyer and Executive Director of WiredSafety.org. "So, that means when a predator wants them to do things, take more images or actually engage in sex, they say that they will make them public or send them to their parents to get them to comply."
Ross Ellis is the founder of the advocacy group "Love Our Children USA." She says, first, kids should be reminded that there can be legal consequences when it comes to sexting in general, including child pornography charges in some cases. She stresses that parents need to get involved to protect their children before it's too late.
"Parents need to not overreact," Ellis explained "They need to sit down with their teens and have a very important conversation. Nothing hysterical but, 'This is what can happen,
this is happening."
Experts also say if your child is a victim of sextortion, get authorities involved as soon as possible.
"What you need to do is make sure that your children come to you early enough that you can do something to help them," added Aftab.
Jeanne finally broke it off with her boyfriend. But as far as she knows, the pictures remain on his computer to this day.
"They're still out there," Jeanne said. "And there's absolutely nothing I can do about it."
Experts warn that teens who take or store nude photos of their underage girlfriend or boyfriend could be convicted of child pornography, even if they never send the pictures out. If convicted, they could go to jail and be listed as a registered sex offender.
